Center Club

The Center Club was amazing! Everything from the food, service and ambiance was perfect. Since we were not actually Members of the Center Club we went with our gut instincts and trusted that they would do a great job for us. They are conveniently located near several hotels that are walking distance and our out of town guests loved that it was right next to South Coast Plaza. Honestly, the best part was being able to work with Christine Petersen our Catering Manager. She is very knowledgeable and went way above and beyond to make sure every aspect of our wedding was perfect. I would highly recommend the Center Club!

Center Club was the perfect venue for our wedding reception. My fiance was very particular about the venue and we looked at places from L.A. to San Diego. On a whim, we decided to look into Center Club after finding them in "Here Comes the Guide". Our mothers decided to see the venue with us and after taking one look decided unanimously it was the perfect place for our reception. The online photos do not do it justice; the fountains, patio and ballroom are gorgeous. Christine Petersen, the event director, was very kind and flexible to work with. Last minute additions or changes were never a problem for her. I read the previous review regarding a negative experience because they were not members of the club; however, this was not my experience at all, everyone at Center Club was very polite and respectful to us though we were not members.

Everything turned out just the way I wanted~ =)

Our experience with the Center Club was WONDERFUL. As we were searching for venues, they were the clear choice, for several reasons:

-Great all-inclusive special including cake, food, valet parking and drinks that was affordable and made the planning process very easy. For us, they turned out to be one of the best values in Orange County.
-Flexibility: they let us use the venue all day so we had plenty of time to set up and get ready.
-Decor: it is absolutely beautiful and elegantly decorated, so we had very little work to do in that area! The space is unique and super chic, with an indoor and outdoor area. They let us set up s'mores at the fire pits outside!
-Location: this was huge. The location is in a very nice part of town, walking distance from South Coast Plaza (big mall) and the Westin (where we booked our block of rooms), so guests could walk everywhere and didn't need to rent a car.

The staff is fabulous! The whole night went off smoothly and beautifully, thanks to the staff. Our guests told us the service was superb, truly above and beyond. We had a very nice woman (Marisa) who took care of us all night, making sure we ate and drank and were having fun! The food is phenomenal, and the house wine and beer were of really good quality.

We worked with Christine during the planning process, who was very helpful overall. She is laid-back and down-to-earth and allowed us a lot of creativity. There were a couple times along the way we were hoping for just a little more help, but we figured that was probably because the venue has been doing tons of weddings and doesn't have unlimited time for everyone. We would recommend hiring another coordinator, at least for the day of (we used Weddings by Deanna) to help iron out the details. But during the wedding she was extremely helpful.

One very small thing: with the special, unlimited beer and wine extends for four hours. After that, we decided to cover beer and wine ourselves. This turned out to be expensive, and we were only able to do so for half an hour! Wine was costly and guests told us their wine glasses were sometimes removed from the tables (even if they still had wine in them) when they got up to dance, so they went to buy another. Also, doing a champagne toast was also costly, so we decided not to do one even though it was New Year's Eve. Not a big deal though--we noticed at other weddings that most people don't even finish their champagne when they have a glass.

I HIGHLY recommend the Center Club. We couldn't be happier with how the wedding went--it was beautiful and magical, and our guests were very happy. Many guests told us it was the "best...

The first thing I booked when we picked our wedding date was our venue. We only looked at 3 places and the Center Club was the first one. Once we walked in, we knew it was it. The best thing about the Center Club was that it didn't look like your average hotel ballroom...It was BEAUTIFUL. The walls, the lighting, the decor...all gorgeous. Having worked in hospitality for the last 6 years, the last thing I wanted was a hotel wedding. But working with the Center Club made wedding planning so easy.

Chris, the Catering Manager, was super attentive to our needs. He was willing to work with our budget and guided us every step of the way. I must've sent him a million emails (we booked early...two years!) and he answered every last one of them. When Chris was unable to be there on the day of the wedding, he made sure I was taken care of.

On our wedding day, we had NOTHING to worry about. Every staff member was super attentive to our needs. There is absolutely nothing that I would change about the day. My only regret is that we couldn't stay there...

This venue is absolutely perfect. Christine provides quick responses, she is more than flexible, laid back and easy going. She is willing to work with you on every aspect of the Wedding process. Their preferred vendor list is amazing. Our cake (Provided by the center club) was absolutely perfect. Service was way above our expectations. Angie who helped the night of the reception was amazing. Again service is their main focus and it shows throughout the night. If you have the opportunity to book this venue, we highly suggest you do. You will not be disappointed. Our guests talked about it for weeks after it was over. The food is perfect and we would not have changed a thing. If you want more details or have any questions please feel free to contact us at 714-798-3321 my name is Matt and we were just married on October 1st so will be more than will to tell you how it went. If you have over 150 guests this may not be the place for you. Hope this helps!!

I want to thank The Center Club which made our wedding day on September 17th a beautiful celebration with our families and friends. The Club is an elegant venue all on its own, but with their attention to all the details we discussed Chris brought our vision for our wedding day to life. We could not have been more pleased. He always worked with us in such a positive spirit and did so much to ease the hassles of planning such a large event. All our guests had a wonderful time and we could not ask for more. The room was set up perfectly, the food was delicious, the service was efficient and courteous and we felt we were in excellent hands from start to finish. Chris has done hundreds of weddings, but he never made us feel that we were just another event in a long line of events. Chris listened, he cooperated, he guided and he cared. At the end of the evening there was not one thing that we wished had been done differently or better and for that Chris and his staff deserve all the credit. I have had many of my guests comment on how elegant and wonderful the evening was and they could not stop raving about the food from appetizers to the salad to the main course. They are also to be commended for having Tomgirl Bakery included as an added plus for the wedding cake. It was delicious, most weddings I have been to cake is hardly eaten, but not at ours as almost everyone wished they could have had seconds. We will sing the praises of the Center Club to anyone looking for a unique and lovely venue for a special event in their lives. Thank you again, Chris.

Chris Hartley and his team at the Center Club are amazing!! Everything about their service was flawless and I couldn't have had a better experience. They are super friendly and accomodating. Our family and friends have not stopped raving about the classy venue and the delicious food. I would recommend this venue to anyone who is looking for a great place to have a wedding.

There are not enough words to describe how happy I was with the Center Club for our wedding. Christine was AMAZING!! I feel like we're friends! Everyone loved the food and ambiance. It's a perfect location because it's walking distance from the Westin and a number of other hotels. They were extremely flexible and never hesitated to answer all of my questions immediately and work with me if any issues arose. I felt like I was the top priority. One bonus I wasn't expecting was the day of the wedding, we had a person who was assigned just to us. She followed us with food while we took pictures, and made sure we had everything we needed throughout the night. I had some problems with my rental company, and Christine never acted like it was my fault and bent over backwards to work with the awful company. I could write a novel of all the highlights, but will just summarize by again saying that the Center Club is an amazing venue and no one would regret using them.

The Center Club did an excellent job for my daughter's wedding on July 15, 2011. We had heard about the package deal of $10,000 for 100 guests and it actually sounded too good to be true. I kept wondering what the catch would be. I told my daughter and her fiance to go to their Open House and check it out. She called and said this is the place we want!!! My husband and I rushed right over to check it out and it was very nice and we fell in love with the place and signed a contract immediately. The food was excellent and we had many guests comment to us about how great the food was. The staff did an awesome job of getting 100 dinners out all at once and hot. We served steak, chicken, and salmon. They were all delicious. Our coordinator was Christine and she was very quick to answer all e-mails and questions. If she was not in, Chris knew all of the answers also. We used many of the vendors off of their preferred vendor list and all were excellent. The valet parking was wonderful, guests just pulling up and getting out...very classy. We are not members of this private club but we certainly were treated like royalty and it didn't seem to matter if we weren't members.

Chris and the Center Club were such a pleasure to work with! I was a picky bride and they didnt miss a beat for our big day. Throughout the entire process anything I asked for was pretty much answered with a "yes". I had a vision of what my wedding day would look like, I left it all up to Chris and his team to make my vision come true and they went above and beyond my expectations. Everyone kept on telling me what a great venue to have a wedding at. It has a great outdoor space that everyone loved! They were flexible and worked with our budget for everything we wanted! Thanks Chris and the Center Club for everything you guys did for Dakota and I! :0

Dakota and Michelle Wentz

Chris was so great to work with for our wedding. All of my questions, and I had a lot, were always answered in a very timely manner. We had a lot of last minute guest additions, that made some logistical challenges, but Chris took care of everything and made it easy on this anxious bride!!! All of our guests have told us it was the best wedding they had been to! The food has gotten rave reviews by everyone! Every guest loved the fact that everything was there and they didn't have to drive around town from place to place. I could not have asked for anything more perfect than what I had that day!!! I highly recommend the Center Club!!!

We cannot believe how we were so fortunate to have celebrated our wedding reception at the Center Club! My first meeting with Chris was really pleasant and he was incredibly helpful and very accommodating. He was very thoughtful and always offered to help us in any way that will make our wedding day super special. We had our tasting and it was nice that they were able to customized the menu to our needs. Our food was perfect!!!! Both of us and all our guests were very impressed with the professional service and how the meals all came out warm, savory, and perfectly cooked. The place was so cozy and elegant. Our wedding package even included complimentary valet...our guests loved the convenience. What an amazing evening! Everything went smoothly and beautifully. Thank you Chris and staff for making our wedding day so memorable!

Look no further! I cannot speak highly enough about the Center Club and my experience getting married at their venue. I had both my ceremony and reception there and the transition between the two was seamless. The ambiance is classy and romantic. My husband and I both wanted our wedding to be a combination of classy and upbeat, yet relaxed. We achieved that with the expert help of the Center Club (and the top notch coordinators Red Orchid Design). There are hotels within walking distance too....perfectly convenient. Overall our wedding was amazing, pictures turned out fabulous and if there were any glitches, I never knew about it. Thanks Center Club.

Center Club is an incredible venue. I was worried at first but I'm really glad I decided to have my wedding here. My biggest concern was that guests might get lost trying to find the venue. (It's right next to OCPAC but could be confusing.) Also the shape of the ballroom is a bit unusual. However everything worked out perfectly and I couldn't be happier. Chris and his team were great and everything ran smoothly. And most importantly the FOOD is DELICIOUS!!!! Guests loved how the wedding was so private and intimate.. Center Club definitely will make your event special.

If you are a bride looking for the perfect wedding day-then the Center Club is your venue. However, you must have Chlris Hartley as your Event Coordinator though. My wedding was the party of the century all because of Chris Hartley. I was not a bridezilla but I was a very picky bride who wanted to control everything. But during my first meeting with Chris, I immediately became comfortable and he gained my trust . I really loved his since of humor, professionalism, and great personality. Even though I was not his only client, he made me feel extremely important. He responded to my emails and voicemails in a timely manner. He was very patient with me because I did ask a lot of questions. I didnt know everything about wedding planning, but Chris sure does. He was extremely creative in helping me with the decor by suggesting great vendors ( Tomgirl Bakery along with others) to help my day to be stress free. Chris also made great suggestions that worked within my budget. He made himself very accessible and worked with my schedule to set up meetings at the Center Club. I can honestly say that my wedding experience was fun and stress free . And alot of that has to do with Chris Hartley. He was there for me and walked me through every aspect of planning a wedding. He was there up until the day of the wedding making sure I was smiling. I must say, I will never forget Chris because he went above the call of duty for me . So, please contact Chris Hartley at the Center Club who will help you have the wedding of your dreams- GUARANTEED.

I can go on and on about Chris Hartley but I'll be typing for days, so onto the beautiful venue itself!

Indeed, the Center Club is a very beautiful and elegant location. There are a lot of unique details that make the Center Club a #1 location for any type of wedding. Beginning with the ballroom- it has a unique shape unlike the traditional and boring square shape. The ballroom also has light fixtures that are equisite and will add a beautiful touch to a reception with candlelights. It also has an area equipped with lighting where you can showcase your wedding cake to all your guests. Lastly, the ballroom has a beautiful built in bar with great bartenders and tasty drinks. The outdoor patio to the ballroom is a whole different world. It is beautiful in its own way as well. It has beautiful greenery and a pond with a waterfall. The ambiance is very phenomenal. The food is delectable and the presentation is to die for. Overall, the Center Club is a perfect place to have an intimate , elegant, unique, private, and unforgetable wedding. All of my guests, my husband, and I are still raving about it!

I just had my wedding and reception at the Center Club with the help of event director Chris and his wonderfully accommodating staff. Everything from the organization of the event to the big day itself went wonderfully. Chris and his staff were so accommodating and offered such a great all inclusive package deal that just couldn't be beat. The appetizers and dinner were outstanding and we got so many compliments from our guests on how much they enjoyed the food and the top notch service. (Many compliments were for the bacon wrapped scallop appetizers! Yummy!) They only do one event per day so YOUR wedding is the focus of the staff which is great. Thanks to the Center Club for providing an elegant setting, wonderful staff, excellent food and memories to last a lifetime for this new bride and groom. It was a stress free experience! Thank you!

Our wedding reception was at The Center Club and it was a wonderful and memorable experience. The meal choices were well rounded so we had something for every's taste. The Garden Room allowed for guests to mingle outside and inside and lucky for us the day was beautiful and our guests were very impressed. The Center Club gave us a table placement that worked so well for the event. I had a wish for the napkin folding and what we wanted on each table and Chris Hartley handled it to perfection! Chris and his staff worked well with our florist and with the company that handled our wedding cake. Chris created a special entree to fit our budget. Chris and his staff "went that extra mile" in all respects! He provided a room for our wedding gifts, he provided a table so our guests could sign a photo. Chris offered us the idea to place a video screen in the reception area for viewing of photos we provided on a thumb drive. Chris and his staff provided a piano for the musician we hired for our reception. Our guests are still telling us how much they enjoyed our reception. We HIGHLY recommend the Center Club!

The Center Club in Costa Mesa was the perfect location for our wedding! I've grown up in Orange County and had been to the OC Performing Arts Center many times, but never noticed the Center Club tucked next to the theater. It has a very classic and elegant decor with all the elements we were looking for. An outside patio, large banquet hall enough for 200 guests, ability to bring in our own caterer (or use theirs), and lots of scenery for amazing wedding pictures. For being a private club, we were really surprised at how reasonable the pricing was especially since we are not members. The Center Club provided all the tables, chairs, silverware, plates, linens, and even staff for serving the meals. Most importantly, the Center Club staff was fantastic! Christine Petersen, the Events Director, was so easy to work with and made sure we had everything we needed. The Center Club is a gorgeous venue for those looking for a classic, elegant wedding and my husband and I highly recommend them!

Excellent, all-inclusive venue! The wedding was beautiful; the food was fantastic (we received so many compliments), and the service was great! I highly recommend the Center Club.

The prices were reasonable, and the facility felt more like a warm, private country club. The staff was professional and courteous; Chris, the events director, was patient, professional, thorough and understanding. I’d definitely recommend Chris and Center Club for any event!

The Center Club is located next to the Segerstrom Hall in the Performing Arts Center in Costa Mesa. It looks hidden but it is also very elegant and perfect for a bride that is looking for simplicity and elegance. The events coordinator Christine is very responsive, sweet, nice and willing to accomodate with your every need. She is very responsive as well. I had my wedding her and had such a wonderful time. They reserved the Chairmans Room that included the BEAUTIFUL patio (perfect for an outdoor ceremony) and the two rooms (called Chairman A & B). Christine included the cocktail tables, dancefloor, DJ table, all the dinner arrangement with the vendors and coordinating where everything was going to be located. You can trust that they will do a great job. She has a list of vendors that you can work with, where I can tell you, they are all very responsive and professional. I used their preferred florist Tricia Barr and their preferred wedding Baker Tom Girl Bakery. Everyone was gasping when they saw the flowers in the room Christine designed AND was almoust licking their fingers when they tried, not only beautifully decorated, but also tasty red velvet and cream cheese cake. Since most of our friends are now getting married, some of our guest have said that they attended at least 2 or 3 weddings. Everyone had a wonderful time and was complementing me as being THE wedding of the year 2011. I HIGHLY recoomend this place for weddings! The staff is VERY professional and I felt extremely pampered by everyone in this place. Thank you.

LOVE LOVE LOVE Center Club!
Chris, Angie, and Joe made our wedding day/night so much fun and soooo smooth :)
Angie was such a great day-of coordinator - especially with my friendor DOC being 7 months pregnant! Angie took away all the stress of prepping for a party for 130 people, decorations, etc... then Joe made sure the reception and the rest of the night went smoothly!! They made sure we ate first and kept our food warm when we walked away or got distracted :)
Our guests gushed about the venue saying how beautiful it was... and all we did was bring the orchid centerpieces! The rest of the "beauty" was all Center Club! It was so cold the day of our wedding, but even without people taking advantage of the outside ceremony/cocktail hour/lounge area, there was plenty of space for everyone to walk around and mingle.
Even taking care of the logistics was easy with Chris touching base after the honeymoon to make sure everything was nice and neat!
We absolutely recommend Center Club to anyone for a wedding, or just...

The Center Club is an absolutely beautiful venue. It is so elegant and impressive - I fell in love with it the first time I set foot there. The food is also incredible - the best food you could ask for at a wedding.

The service left a little bit to be desired...maybe it was just because my family is not an official "member" (even though they opened up the venue to non-members), but my main contact was a bit of a disappointment. When I first met with him, he made a lot of promises, but as time went on, he didn't really come through on them. Through the planning process, he never initiated contact with me (unless it was time for a payment), so unless I reached out to him, I would go for weeks without hearing anything. Several times, he made me feel like a nuisance with questions I'd ask him - now, I wasn't at all a "bridezilla", I was actually SUPER laid-back about everything...but he acted annoyed with me many times. For the most part, everything was fine - the day went really smoothly (thanks so much to Joe, the Food and Beverage Manager)...I think I was just disappointed because this contact had made so many promises - none of which he really came through on.

I guess, if you're considering having your wedding at this venue, my advice would be - become a member and hopefully, you'll get better service.

Located in Costa Mesa right next to the OCPAC. It is the perfect size for anyone with a guest list around 150ish. The food is amazing and the place itself is impressive.

UPDATE:
We are three days out and I can tell you this place has been a nightmare to deal with . I do not suggest giving yourself the headache of dealing with them....they are full of unhappy surprises. This place put me in tears multiple times because they said one thing and then when its too late they tell me another. I HIGHLY DO NOT recommend them.

As a wedding party member/guest this was the worst reception site for any large group. The wedding was approximately 160, and with the diagonal block setup of the room, about half the guests couldn't see a thing during the toasts, first dance, etc. Even less for the cake cutting. It may be find for groups of about 50 to 75, but it was horrible for our group. The food was not great, rubbery chicken, cold soup, overcooked vegetables, and the wine service was pretty bad. We didn't get the red wine option at our table (though we asked several times) until the meal was over (the other tables had it, and we didn't). Mind you, we were the table next to/behind the sweethearts table/wedding party table. Couldn't see a thing from our seats. It was pretty disappointing as a guest. The cocktail hour was in the walkway. Oh, and the dance floor was in the middle of the diagonal setup, so if you were on the other side of the room from the bar... forget getting to it. It was so crowded that it was impossible to enjoy yourself. This site may be fine for a smaller group, but defiantly avoid it if you have a large wedding. It truly sucked as a guest. Only way I'm seeing what happened during the reception is pretty much going to be from the wedding video.

If you are looking for an elegant venue with great service, outstanding staff and a unique look...Center Club is the place. I have had the privilege of working at the Center Club a number of times and it is one of my favorite places to work at. The management staff is very professional and organized and the layout is one of a kind. I highly suggest you stop by if you have not done so already and check it out!

For your wedding, you want a beautiful venue, great service and peace of mind that you will be well taken care of. Chris and Christine at the Center Club provide just that. You are in very capable and caring hands when choosing the Center Club for your most special day.

Center Club is a beautiful venue that we have been working with for many years. They have very friendly staff and can accommodate any kind of wedding. We highly recommend them as a venue.

I love doing the flowers for the Center Club every week. Every single person who works there is so professional and helpful. All of the brides I've ever worked with there have had a wonderful experience. Everyone goes out of their way to make each wedding perfect. AND, the food is amazing!!